Eagles Need To Get Back To Boring

Coincidence or not, Nick Sirianni's increased involvement in the Eagles' offensive preparation for Monday's game in Los Angeles, went over like a lead balloon.

The tweaks for a struggling offense resulted in more motion, more dropbacks, and an emphasis on using the middle of the field, something that fueled disastrous results in a 22-19 overtime loss against the severely-limited Chargers.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts arguably had the worst game of his NFL career, one in which the game's best ball-security quarterback turned into a turnover machine, throwing a career-high four interceptions and adding a fumble on the rare QBgami play in which Hurts was fooled by simulated third-down pressure look with Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand dropping into coverage.

Hurts tried to force the ball to A.J. Brown and instead handed an early Christmas gift to the big D-Lineman. Not used to handling the football, Hand coughed it up on a hit by running back Will Shipley and the football bounced right back to Hurts, who coughed it up again, resulting in an INT and a fumble on the same play.

The Keystone Cops couldn't have scripted the sequence any better.

It was that kind of day for Hurts, who didn't see the field well and when he did was too often let down by star receiver A.J. Brown.

The final play was a microcosm of the night with Hurts making two poor decisions on what was his fourth interception, a negative walk-off one play after the Eagles were gifted a fourth down conversion by a neutral zone infraction.

With time not a factor and four downs to work with, embattled offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo gave Hurts three options baked into one play-call. The QB1 first had a zone-read option to Saquon Barkley to start before a high-low read on the right side of the field with Hurts pulling the trigger on the deep out to Jahan Dotson.

The football should have gone to Barkley with Khalil Mack in conflict and Fred Johnson and Tyler Steen combining to cave in the left side of the Chargers' defensive front. Had Hurts pulled that lever, the Eagles are likely facing a second-and-five situation at the Chargers 12-yard line at the two-minute warning in overtime as the worst-case scenario.

Instead Hurts did pull the football and Mack was ready with the future Hall of Fame edge rusher quickly closing on the QB to force a hurried throw that Hurts telegrasphed to Dotson near the goal line. LA cornerback Cam Hart was in coverage responsibility on the low read and was able to sink under Dotson to deflect the football to veteran safety Tony Jefferson, who corralled and saved the game for the Chargers.

“As frustrating as the night was, we had an opportunity to win the game,” Hurts said. “In the end, I had the ball in my hands driving down the field, having everything on our terms to a sense, and I didn’t bring it home.”

Plenty of others contributed to the Eagles' third consecutive loss but none played as antithetical to their reputation as Hurts.

The Eagles' signal caller came into the game No. 1 in the NFL in touchdown to turnover ratio at 27:5 through 12 games and matched the latter number against the Chargers in 68 minutes of football.

Judging by what we saw unfold, the blame can first be directed toward Sirianni for pivoting from what has been a winning formula to placate an imaginary College Football Playoff committee headquartered at the team's own flagship radio station which constantly searches for style points rather than substance.

Harmful Tweaks

Dec 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni looks on in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A win against the limited Chargers would have been a fait accompli had the Eagles just shown up and played their normal risk-averse style of football that drives fans and the grifting pundits into a rage.

Instead, Sirianni used his latest mini-bye as an attempt to prove something to those he often claims to ignore so you had empty sets and 40 drop-backs even after the running game and Barkley showed some life early.

“Nick stepped in, and I think he played a very good role this week, provided some structure and kind of organized some things for us,” Hurts explained.

The Eagles have committed nine turnovers in their three-game skid after having just four giveaways in their first ten games. Seven have been directly tied to Hurts, who simply isn't going to thrive as a high-volume passer, especially on a consistent basis.

“It starts with me and how I play, how I lead, and how I go out there and do my job,” Hurts said. “So when I look at it at any point, it’s about how I respond to a test, and what level of resilience and resolve I have to push forward and figure things out.”

Figuring things out would be much easier if the Eagles went back to boring and stopped worrying about how everything looks.

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